Santa Maria · Zoning · R-1
Santa Maria R-1 zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Santa Maria's R-1 zone, buildings can be up to 30 ft tall and the front setback is 20 ft (Santa Maria code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 30 ft
- Minimum front setback: 20 ft
- Minimum side setback: 5 ft and 10 ft (Interior lots: one side yard is 5 feet and the other is 10 feet)
- Minimum rear setback: 10 ft (Single-story structure)
R-1 (SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT) is a zoning district in Santa Maria. Every value below was read from the Santa Maria Municipal Code and links to its section (read October 2026). State laws such as the ADU and SB 9 rules can allow more on a residential lot. General information, not legal advice — read the code text and check with the city before you build.
Development standards in R-1
The general rule for a typical lot in this zone. Zoning tables often attach notes, such as rules for corner lots, lots next to a residential zone, or new subdivisions only. Open “code text” under a value to see the table cell or sentence it was read from.
| Maximum building height | 30 ft § 12-6.08 · code textMaximum allowable building height is thirty feet. |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 20 ft § 12-6.09 · code textFront yards shall be no less than twenty feet (20′) deep, except as follows: |
| Minimum side setback | 5 ft and 10 ft Applies: Interior lots: one side yard is 5 feet and the other is 10 feet § 12-6.09 · code textOn interior lots, one side yard shall be a minimum of five feet (5′) and the other ten feet (10′). |
| Minimum rear setback | 10 ft Applies: Single-story structure § 12-6.09 · code textFor a single-story structure, the setback shall be not less than ten feet (10′). |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in R-1:
- Minimum front setback: 15 ft — Garages with side entry § 12-6.09
- Minimum front setback: 18 ft — Garages with front entry and roll-up doors § 12-6.09
- Minimum side setback: 15 ft — Corner lot; side property line adjoining the street § 12-6.09
- Minimum side setback: 5 ft — Corner lot; other side yard § 12-6.09
- Minimum side setback: 0 ft — May be permitted upon approval of a development plan or subdivision map when the total for both side yard requirements are met on each lot or parcel § 12-6.09
- Minimum rear setback: 20 ft — Buildings with two or more stories § 12-6.09
- Minimum rear setback: 15 ft — Buildings with two or more stories; no more than 20 feet of the rear width of the structure projects into the required 20-foot setback § 12-6.09
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories, lot size, lot coverage, FAR, density limit for R-1 in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Santa Maria Municipal Code.
Other Santa Maria zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Santa Maria's R-1 zone?
30 ft — Santa Maria Municipal Code § 12-6.08.
What is the minimum front setback in Santa Maria's R-1 zone?
20 ft — Santa Maria Municipal Code § 12-6.09.
What is the minimum side setback in Santa Maria's R-1 zone?
5 ft and 10 ft (interior lots: one side yard is 5 feet and the other is 10 feet) — Santa Maria Municipal Code § 12-6.09.
What is the minimum rear setback in Santa Maria's R-1 zone?
10 ft (single-story structure) — Santa Maria Municipal Code § 12-6.09.
General information, not legal advice.
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